Patna, July 6 (IANS) Political activity has gathered pace ahead of the Bankipur Assembly by-election in Patna, with the contest increasingly being viewed as a prestige battle for the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The constituency has long been considered a stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), making the upcoming by-election a closely watched political contest.

Speaking on the by-election, Janata Dal (United) National Working President Sanjay Jha said that in a democracy, every individual has the right to contest elections from any constituency, adding that the electorate ultimately decides the outcome.

Describing the by-election as an important contest, Jha said the Bankipur seat has become a prestige issue for the NDA.

He expressed confidence that the alliance would retain the constituency with a comfortable margin, citing positive feedback received from party workers and supporters.

Jha also noted that former MLA Nitin Nabin, who vacated the seat after being elected to the Rajya Sabha, has played a significant political role in the constituency.

The election gained further prominence after Jan Suraaj announced its founder, Prashant Kishor, as its candidate, setting the stage for his electoral debut. A meeting of the party’s core committee was held on Sunday evening to discuss the nomination. After the meeting, the name of Prashant Kishor was announced at a press conference.

The BJP has not yet officially announced its candidate.

The by-election is shaping up to be a multi-cornered contest.

Former Minister Tej Pratap Yadav’s party, Janshakti Janata Dal, has announced Veena Manvi as its candidate for the seat.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has not yet declared its nominee, while the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP), led by Pashupati Kumar Paras, has also indicated that it intends to field a candidate.

With several political parties preparing for the contest and Prashant Kishor making his electoral debut, the Bankipur by-election is expected to emerge as one of Bihar’s most closely watched political battles.

Polling is scheduled for July 30, while the counting of votes will take place on August 3.

–IANS

ajk/dpb